Prosecutors seek stiffer sentence for Padilla

Patrick Danner
October 25, 2010

Developer Mauro T. Padilla III intentionally hired undocumented workers and then threatened to contact immigration authorities when they demanded payment for their work, federal prosecutors charge in the latest court filing in his criminal case.

Padilla, who was developing the ill-fated Tundra Town Home Village on the South Side before it unraveled in scandal two years ago, pleaded guilty this year to making false statements to a bank. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 9.

Federal prosecutors are recommending that U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez sentence Padilla to serve 121/2 to more than 15 years in prison, about double a previous recommendation. In a court filing, the U.S. attorney's office says it has since identified more than 50 victims of Padilla's crime, including at least three it deemed “vulnerable victimsâ€